Soil is a living and life-giving substance, without which we would perish.
As world population and food production demands rise, keeping our soil healthy and productive is of paramount importance. So much so that we believe improving the health of our Nation's soil is one of the most important endeavors of our time.
By focusing more attention on soil health and by educating our customers and the public about the positive impact healthy soils can have on productivity and conservation, we can help our Nation's farmers and ranchers feed the world more profitably and sustainably - now and for generations to come.
The resources on this soil health section of our site are designed to help visitors understand the basics and benefits of soil health and to learn about Soil Health Management Systems from farmers who are using those systems.
So whether you’re a farmer, a researcher, a conservationist or an interested citizen, the information on this site will help you “Unlock the Secrets in the Soil."
Soil Health Resources
Soil health “lessons in a minute” by Ray Archuleta and John Stika, NRCS
The Science of Soil Health series by Dr. Buz Kloot, University of South Carolina
Soil health videos by Ray Archuleta, NRCS
Soil health concepts by other presenters
- Georgia Farmer Unlocks the Secrets in the Soil - Terry Chandler has dedicated his farming career to reversing decades of soil erosion on his Madison County farm. He's worked with Georgia NRCS experts to manage his pastures for improved soil health. Learn how he has unlocked the secrets to the soil on his land by using rotational grazing and diverse inter-seeding in his pastures.
- Lamar Black on Cover Crops - describes the benefits of growing cover crops in irrigated and non-irrigated row crops rotations - Extended interview.
- The Biology of Soil Compaction - Jim Hoorman, Cooperative Extension, Columbus, Ohio talks about the biology of soil compaction in a long, but informative video. Documentation can be found on the Agronomy.org web site.
- The Science of Soil Health: Understanding the Value of Legumes - Dr. Julie Grossman, North Carolina State University, helps us understand the value of legume cover crops and nitrogen produced by these crops.
- Geoff Zehnder 20130916 First Cut - Dr. Geoff Zhender, Clemson University, explains how microorganisms in healthy soils protect some plants from disease.
- The Science of Soil Health: Changing The Way We Think About - Dr. Kris Nichols, describes how many other soil microorganisms in the soil are also beneficial for crops.
- Organic High Residue Reduced-Till Roller Crimper: Weed Em and Reap – the staff at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Greensboro, NC demonstrate rolling and crimping of high biomass cover crop on an organic farm.
Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE)
Other printed information
Soil Health Profile Good Pasture Management Leads to Good Soil Health - The Chandlers needed all the help they could get, so they recruited the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Using the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), the Chandlers began the process of improving the existing resources to improve forage health, productivity and the vigor of their farm.
Use the Georgia Soil Health Card (PDF) (505 KB) to evaluate the baseline and improved soil health in your field.
How Cover Crops Make Healthier Soil - This is a simple illustration of how cover crops make the soil healthier and other benefits.
Additional information is available through the NRCS Soil Health website.
Soil health PowerPoint presentations
Sign up for E-mail updates on Soil Health Awareness
For additional information, please contact the State Agronomist.